The Kitchen

Tons of violence, much of it bloody. A woman is nearly raped before her attacker is shot at close range. A hit man explains how to prepare (slice) a body for being wrapped and thrown in the river (viewers see bloody hands and hear knife sounds but don't actually see the mutilation). Dozens of people, including major and supporting characters, are shot and killed. One character is pushed to a fatal fall down stairs. Main characters are complicit in deaths of family members, associates. Woman with history of abuse is shown with bruises -- in one case in the hospital from her injuries; her husband is shown punching her repeatedly. Three mobsters beat two FBI agents with their fists and feet.

One fairly long sex scene on a bed shows a man's naked chest and a woman's cleavage and back; there's a post-sex shot of a woman in an open robe staring at the bed where her lover sleeps. Passionate kisses between couples, and one scene of a couple in bed together (where they were shot). A few images of what appear to be young prostitutes and their pimp. Quick glimpses of sex shops/peep shows/strip clubs that were famously popular in Manhattan in the 1970s. Crude conversations about sex and infidelity. Conversation about how Joseph stayed with Mary despite "another guy knocking her up."

Consistent strong language throughout includes "f--k," "f--king," "motherf----er," "twats," "c--t," "goddamn," a derogatory term for Irish ("Micks"), "s--t," "t-tties," "idiots," "get the hell out," "whores," "d--ks," "balls," "bulls--t," etc.

Nearly every scene shows the women (or others) drinking hard liquor, either straight or mixed with another drink, like coffee. The characters drink in pubs, social halls, restaurants, private meetings and dinners. At a diner, one character asks for "something" for her coffee. References to someone who died "with a needle in his arm," plus a homeless person who looks high and drug pushers. Background smoking.

Parents need to know that The Kitchen is based on a 1970s-set DC Vertigo comics series that follows a group of women who take over the Irish crime family in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan while their husbands are in prison. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss, this is a dark, violent, and unexpectedly bloody film with a very high body count. People are mostly shot to death, but a couple are beaten or even pushed to their demise. An abused woman is shown being punched and kicked and is so injured that she has to go to the hospital. Language is extremely strong, with F-bombs flying in nearly every scene (as well as "s--t," "c--t," "tw-ts," "d--ks," and much more). Characters drink in nearly every scene, there are a couple of drug references, and extras smoke in the background. There's one major romantic subplot with a couple of love scenes and passionate kisses. The story's female empowerment messages ultimately devolve into a story of betrayal, corruption, and every woman for herself.

To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.